After seeing how wide receivers D.J. Coles and Demitri Knowles appeared to be allergic to catching passes at times Saturday night in Virginia Tech’s 35-10 loss to No. 1 Alabama, Tech has a problem.

How does that problem get fixed when there’s no telling if the inexperienced options at receiver outside of Coles and Knowles can actually get the job done? Thomas, who completed just 5 of 26 passes for 59 yards and an interception, watched at least eight passes get dropped – the bulk of which slipped through the hands of Coles and Knowles.

As encouraged at Tech had to be with its defensive effort, running game and the progress of its offensive line against Alabama, there should be equal parts horror from the coaching staff and players when it studies the results of the passing game. This performance wasn’t what new offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler had in mind.

“We’ve just got to correct some stuff, man,” Thomas said. “They can be as good as they want to be. We’ve just got to push the right buttons, get them going and, once they do, we’ll be a dangerous offense.”

The last time Tech had fewer completions in a game was in Sept. 2009, when Tech completed 4 of 9 passes for 98 against Miami. Of course, Tech had an obvious agenda in that game. Tech carried the ball 55 times for 272 yards in a 31-7 win.

Against Alabama, it wasn’t as Tech didn’t try to throw the ball, and Thomas certainly had time to get rid of it. He just didn’t have much help from his receivers. The last time Virginia Tech threw for fewer yards in a game was in Sept. '08, when it had 48 yards in a 20-17 win against Georgia Tech.

So – those buttons Thomas was talking about pushing. What are the buttons that need to be pushed to get his receivers to do something they were unable to do consistently in the spring and in the preseason? Catch the ball.

Thomas is the guy who himself said in July he’s developed more of a mean streak. Is it up to him to have a serious discussion with his receivers?

“I don’t think it’s up to me to say anything,” Thomas said. “The coaches will get them right and whatever happens happens.”

Tech coach Frank Beamer noted after the game his team was missing redshirt freshman receiver Charley Meyer, who was out with a hamstring injury, but it’s hard to imagine the Hokies’ passing game hinges on the return of one guy who just recently earned a scholarship – regardless of how impressive he’s been in the preseason.

“Well, I think just think it’s concentration,” Beamer said. “I’ve seen D.J. Coles make a lot of tough catches. Demitri – he has to go up and get it at the highest point. Get Charley Meyer back in there. I think Charley – he didn’t play any (Saturday) – but he’s a very dependable guy there. I’ve seen D.J. do it and Demitri do it.”

While Tech’s passing game left a lot to be desired, running back Trey Edmunds couldn’t have scripted his college debut much better – short of a win, of course. After not touching the ball on Tech’s first nine plays, Edmunds got involved on Tech’s third drive.

“Wonderful, wonderful,” said Edmunds of the blocking by his offensive line. “I said they blocked their butts off, and they made it easy on me.”

If you take away the 77-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, he only had 55 yards on 19 carries, but the 77-yard run was a thing of beauty. Tech’s line, led by right guard Andrew Miller and right tackle Laurence Gibson, blocked to the left and opened a massive patch of green through which Edmunds ran untouched (according to him) to the end zone.

“The offense line had blocked the first two lines – the defensive line and the linebackers – and, at that point, it was just me, the cornerback and the safety,” Edmunds said. “In my mind, I just felt that it had to be a footrace.”

“I think we just put our heads down and we came off the ball and we just stayed tough,” Miller said. “That was the main thing – just come out, drive off the ball and come out with confidence. I think we did.”

Taking a look at the first college starts of Tech’s last six tailbacks to either play in the NFL or earn all-conference honors, Edmunds’ numbers in his first start stack up quite well.

In most cases, the six backs other than Edmunds also played against far lesser competition than No. 1 Alabama, and had at least one offensive lineman blocking for him that either went on to play in the NFL or earned all-conference honors. It remains to be seen if any of the linemen blocking Saturday night for Edmunds will ascend to those levels.

Here’s a rundown on the first start particulars for the aforementioned six backs:

Lee Suggs – 2000 season, 14 carries for 90 yards in a 52-23 win against Akron (left guard Matt Lehr and right tackle Dave Kadela played in the NFL)

Kevin Jones – 2001 season, 21 carries for 155 yards and two touchdowns in 35-0 win at Temple (right guard Jake Grove played in the NFL) *though it was Jones’ first start, he’d already had 70 carries in the ’01 season prior to that start